The present invention relates to an oil cooler having an axially disposed center fixing tube extending through the cooler housing and having oil chambers therein which are placed in thermal contact with a coolant.
Oil coolers of the type in which engine oil is placed in thermal contact with a coolant are known. One such oil cooler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,011. An oil inlet and outlet are spaced axially so that oil flow occurs through a first group of oil chambers radially outwardly and back through a second group of oil chambers radially inwardly. A flow of coolant is directed tangentially, i.e. circumferentially, in heat exchange relation with the oil, such that the flow of the oil and coolant are perpendicular relative to one another.
In the cooling of oil contained in an oil cooler, optimum efficiency occurs if the flow direction of the oil and the coolant are opposed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,530 discloses oil cooler constructions in which the oil and coolant flow oppositely in tangential directions. The oil cooler includes radially spaced-apart flow deflecting walls wound in spiral shape and is a rather complex structure. This poses difficulties in manufacture, in particular relating to the end-face seals which are required, which can only be produced with great difficulty.